Fans of Netflix show ‘On My Block’ demand a recast of character

On the Netflix show On My Block, there is a character named Olivia; a Mexican girl whose parents were deported.

There are screenshots of Ronni Hawk, Olivia’s actress, openly supporting Trump. She once tweeted “go @realDonaldTrump please bring America back!!!” In the early morning of when Trump was elected, she also tweeted two American flag emojis and one heart emoji.

Not only does she support Trump, but she also is not Mexican herself; she is white. On My Block has been praised for its near all person of color cast, but the crew still cast a white woman to play a Mexican character.

There is irony in having a Mexican character, whose parents were deported, being played by a white woman who supports Trump. Mexican people were just one of the many minorities targeted by Trump during his campaign and through his current presidency.

Many people have called for either Olivia to be killed off, or recasted, as this news about Hawk has surfaced. Not only does it play into misrepresentation, and the disadvantage minority actors face to play roles made for them, when a white person is cast instead, it also plays into this irony of such a progressive and diverse show supporting a person who believes in the oppression that Trump’s administration brings about.

Many fans have gone to Twitter to voice their opinions on the future of the character Olivia. Some want a recast, and others want her to be killed off. Many people have called for fans to stop supporting Ronni Hawk because she supports Trump and auditions for Hispanic roles as a white woman.

Since season 2 of the show has not come out yet, the fate of Olivia and Ronni Hawk has not been revealed.